


Kidnapped

by InterstellarVagabond



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-04-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 19:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3741550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InterstellarVagabond/pseuds/InterstellarVagabond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle's father is offering a reward to anyone who can bring his daughter home, but when the would be rescuers take Belle from The Dark One's castle she's unwilling to go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kidnapped

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first fic on AO3 and my first fic for OUAT so lots of firsts here! Not exactly entirely pleased with it but when you stay up all night to write something you're just glad its done! Let me know what you think and enjoy!

In a secluded corner of the Enchanted Forest there stood a castle as dark as the man who reigned over it. Few visitors ever dared come near the castle, except for the desperate, the damned, and a few village children who had been dared by their peers. Today there were no princesses at the front door offering their firstborn for a love potion, no witches wanting to trade a lock of their hair for a magic wand, no cursed princes resigning to make a deal with the devil to change their fate. Had there been they would have probably turned tail and run after hearing the ruckus going on within the castle.

“Did you have to take out his heart?” Belle asked, her face distraught. “That was so awful! I've never seen anything so cruel!”

“Well it's a good thing you're here to clean and not complain, now isn't it, dearie?” Rumpelstiltskin replied, wiping the crushed heart from his hands.

“He didn't even do anything wrong!” Belle folded her arms over her chest, trying to adopt a stern posture. She was still shaken from what she'd just seen, but that was no excuse for not standing her ground.

“He backed out of our deal!” Rumpelstiltskin hissed. “If he couldn't give me what I wanted then his life might as well be forfeit. Don't waste your tears on a deal-breaker!”

“How was he supposed to pay you back?” Belle asked. “You ask these people for impossible things!”

“Well you certainly didn't have a problem with paying your debt, now did you, dearie?” Rumpelstiltskin giggled. “Now stop filling my ears with your moral oppositions and go do something useful!” His voice lowered into a growl.

Belle huffed angrily, but knew better than to argue any further. She turned about and marched out of the room, leaving the imp behind her.

When Belle had first arrived at the enormous castle, she'd had trouble finding each room. On more than one occasion she'd become lost, until Rumpelstiltskin had given her a locator charm to help find her way around. The pendant had been enchanted to glow when she was near the location she wished to reach, but she'd long ago stopped using it having become familiar with the castle. She didn't have any need of it as she walked up the spiral staircase to her favorite room in the entire palace.

Belle ran her fingers down a row of books, carefully assessing each title. She settled on an old leather-bound spellbook, curious about its contents. While at first she'd contented herself with the library's extensive collection of fiction, losing herself in other worlds and other people, she'd recently become curious about some of the more informative books on the shelves. Living with the world's most powerful sorcerer made one wonder about magic and deal making and politics.

She curled up on a worn armchair, resting the large book on the armrest and opening it up. She took a deep breath of the smell of paper, and smiled. This always helped her feel better after a fight with The Dark One.

She was just about to start the first sentence when a pair of gloved hands reached out from behind her and covered her mouth.

Rumpelstiltskin was spinning, as he usually did after a fight with that stubborn girl. However, as the straw became gold he found himself less and less interested in his work. His mind kept going back to the look on Belle's face as he ripped the heart out of the boring peasant man. She'd been horrified, absolutely terrified. He hadn't seen her so scared since the first month she'd spent with him. She was a brave woman, and not easily scared by his actions and yet at the sight of him crushing a man's heart she paled.

“Bah. Musn't concern myself with the help.” He said to himself. “Why do I care what she's feeling like?”

He scowled. Talking to himself was a thing he did before someone else moved into the castle. He didn't have to talk to himself anymore. In fact he was going to go find Belle and tell her exactly why he needed her to be less squeamish in the future.

He leapt up from his seat by the spinning wheel and transported himself to where he knew Belle would be.

Or at least, he thought Belle would be in the library. However, she seemed to be elsewhere.

At first he felt a slight irritation that he couldn't predict her movements, but then he tossed the feeling aside. He was about to yell for her when he noticed something on the floor. He turned the item, an old spellbook, over with his boot.

“That's unusual...” He whispered. “That's not like a bookworm to go tossing her books all over the place.”

Rumpelstiltskin conjured a magic cloud before him and focused on the room, in an instant the events that had occurred here previously appeared on the cloud like a window into the past. The Dark One watched two men carry his maid off, kicking and screaming. Or attempting to scream as one of them had his hand over her mouth. He saw Belle bite the man and smirked a bit, but his smirk faded as he saw them hit her over the head and carry her out of the room. The magic dissipated, leaving Rumple staring at the rows of books across from him.

“Somebody has taken one of my things.” He hissed. “Somebody is going to die!”

When Belle woke up she was tied up in the back of a wagon. They hadn't gagged her, but her hands and legs were bound and she was laying on her side like she was cargo. She heard the sound of horses and footsteps, but it was too dark to see much. She struggled against her bonds to no avail.

“Don't try to move, miss.” A gruff voice commanded. “You'll be home shortly.”

“What?” Belle struggled. “Who are you?” She peered into the darkness and made out the form of a man sitting against one of the sides of the wagon. He had a red beard and wore the clothes of a ranger. He was armed with a sword and a dagger, both sheathed at his side.

“My name is Gareth Finn.” The man said. “Your father has put out quite a hefty reward for your safe return, so we are taking you home.”

“You can't do this!” Belle said. “I made a deal with The Dark One, if you take me he'll come after you! You're not safe!”

“Don't worry, miss.” Gareth said. “That monster can't hurt us. We made sure to get these before we crossed him.” The man pulled his sleeve up and displayed a leather bracelet with a strange stone set in it. The stone seemed to be glowing faintly in the darkness.

“What is that?” Belle asked.

“This is a charm that will protect us from dark magic. All of my men are wearing one.” Gareth explained. “Here, I have one for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out another bracelet. He reached forward and slipped the bracelet as far as it could go on Belle's wrist, as the rope that bound her arms complicated things.

“There. You'll be safe from him if he comes after us.”

“You mean when.” Belle said. “He doesn't like it when people break his deals, and you don't know if those things will protect you.”

“The witch we bought them from swears by them.” Gareth said. “And even if they don't work, I still have this.” He pulled his sword an inch out of its sheath, displaying the cold steel. It glinted in the moonlight menacingly.

Belle thought quickly, she had to get away from these men so that no one got hurt. If the charms didn't work, they would all be killed. If they did work, then Rumpelstiltskin would be killed. For a moment Belle felt angry that once again there was a big group of men angrily deciding what was best for her. Then her idea came to her.

“Well...if you're prepared...” She said. “Then I'd like to thank you for rescuing me.”

“With the fight you put up, I thought you didn't want to be rescued.” Gareth chuckled. “Hence the ropes. I thought maybe the beast put a spell on your mind and twisted it.”

“No, I was just worried for your safety.” Belle said. “I've been trying to get away from him for ages now, but I never could.”

“Well you're safe now.” Gareth smiled in a way that might have been charming had the situation been different.

“Now that we're all on the same page, maybe you could untie me?” Belle asked. “This is awfully uncomfortable.”

“I don't know about that, miss.” Gareth said. “I'm still not entirely convinced you won't go running back to the beast. You hear rumors, you know. I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart but I also want that money, so I can't take any chances.”

“I promise I don't want to go back to him!” Belle insisted.

“I've heard The Dark One has you enthralled.” Gareth said. “Some people say he means to make you his bride.”

“Me? Marry him?” Belle made herself scoff. “Who could ever love a beast?”

Gareth eyed her up, as if judging her honesty. “True...you did have a fiance once didn't you? It must have been a cruel fate to be ripped away from a real love to be the prisoner of some lustful monster.” As he said this, he licked his lips. “But Gaston never returned when he went to rescue you. You'll need a new husband now. Perhaps your father's reward can be...altered.”

“Untie me.” Belle implored. “And we can see.”

Gareth smirked and approached Belle, pulling his dagger from his belt. He cut Belle's ropes and she stretched, her muscles sore from laying in such an awkward position. Gareth then leaned forward, as if expecting a kiss. Belle leaned forward as well, and seized the dagger from Gareth's hands. She pressed it to his throat.

“I'm not letting anyone die because of me tonight.” She said. “Not when I left to save lives in the first place.”

Gareth wrapped a hand around Belle's wrist so tight that it hurt. “You don't want to do this, girl.”

“I know better than any of you what I want to do.” She said. Gareth scowled and with one swift move he knocked the dagger from Belle's hand and pushed her to the ground. He held her there by her wrists.

“Traitorous wench!” He said. “He has put a spell on you! I'll set you right again.” He reached for the laces of her dress. Belle tried to get away, panicking and kicking out at Gareth.

“Sir, there's something you should see out here.” A voice suddenly interrupted. Belle turned towards the entrance of the wagon and saw someone riding close behind them.

“Damn it, what could you have worth interrupting me for?” Gareth approached the entrance to speak to the rider.

Rumpelstiltskin found himself in a part of the woods not too far from his castle. There was a group of men headed down the pathway into the next kingdom, some of them riding and some of them walking. There was a wagon in the middle, heavily defended by the riders around it. Rumpelstiltskin simply swapped places with one of the riders, using magic to deposit the man somewhere else in the woods, naked and confused. No one even noticed him putting his magic to good use as he entered their ranks.

Normally he would have located Belle, made his dramatic appearance, said something witty and then put them all to death. However, as he rode closer to the wagon where they no doubt were keeping his maid, he heard a conversation going on inside.

“...trying to get away from him for ages...”

“...rumors...any chances...”

“Who could ever love a beast?”

Rumpelstiltskin felt a strange sensation, as if his heart had sunk into his stomach. He tried to summon rage within himself, but all he felt was the sinking sensation.

Idiot. Get your property back and make the thieves pay. He thought to himself. He rode up next to the wagon and peered inside.

He saw Belle with a dagger to a man's throat.

“I'm not letting anyone die because of me tonight.” She said. “Not when I left to save lives in the first place.”

The man didn't seem interested in Belle's heroics. He pinned her to the ground, and made his intentions clear. The rage that had been so hard to summon earlier came easily to The Dark One now.

“Sir, there's something you should see out here.” He called to the man inside. The man cursed but moved away from Belle. Rumpelstiltskin grinned toothily, and snapped his fingers. Suddenly the wood of the wagon rose up as if it had a life of its own. It grabbed Gareth and held him prisoner. A few of the horses spooked and the men around him aimed their weapons at Rumpelstiltskin.

“Oh don't be stupid!” Rumpelstiltskin chided them, and with a wave of his hand their weapons turned to chains and wrapped themselves around their hands. “You boys just sit back and watch me kill your boss!”

“Rumple!” Belle pushed past Gareth, who was still being held by wood. She ran to the horse Rumpelstiltskin rode. Rumpelstiltskin felt a surge of relief as Belle ran to his side, but only fleetingly. His focus was on the man who had been pinning Belle to the ground just a moment ago.

“Nobody steals from me, dearie!” He laughed. “And you're about to find out why.”

“You can't hurt us!” Gareth showed Rumpelstiltskin the charm on his wrist. “Your magic won't work on us!”

Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes. “Oh, you mean this?” He held out his hand and the bracelet appeared in it. He conjured a flame in his palm and watched the charm burn up. “A bold fashion statement but not much else.” He giggled again.

There was fear in Gareth's eyes as Rumpelstiltskin leapt off his horse and grabbed Gareth by the throat, throwing him to the ground and standing on his chest.

“Do you like feeling like you have no control?” Rumpelstiltskin growled. “Are you enjoying being treated as you treated her?”

“Kill him!” Gareth grunted to his men, who were still trying to free themselves from the chains Rumpelstiltskin conjured.

“That's a good idea, I think I will kill you now.” Rumpelstiltskin moved his foot to Gareth's throat and cut off his air supply. Then he reached forward and pulled the beating heart from his chest. Gareth gasped in pain and stared in fear at the heart that Rumpelstiltskin held before him.

“Rumpelstiltskin stop!” Belle screamed.

“Shut up and get back.” Rumpelstiltskin growled, holding the heart tighter. Gareth writhed in pain.

“You don't have to kill him!” Belle yelled. “You saved me, I'm fine! They won't try to steal from you again, just let them go!”

“That's not how it works, dearie!” Rumpelstiltskin said. “He hurt you now I hurt him.”

“Please...” Gareth coughed. “Sorry...for...stealing...”

“Don't talk with your mouth full of boot.” Rumpelstiltskin kicked Gareth in the teeth. “Now before I kill you, maybe you ought to apologize to the nice lady.”

“Rumpelstiltskin, no!” Belle threw herself at The Dark One, wrapping her hand around the heart that he held. “Stop, please! He's been punished enough!”

“Why do you want him to live?” Rumpelstiltskin growled. “He's no knight in shining armor, dearie. What is his life worth to you?”

“Its not his life I'm worried about.” Belle said, her voice wavering. “You're better than this. Let's just go home.”

Rumpelstiltskin's scaly face twisted in confusion. Belle put a hand on his cheek, and with the other she swept the hair from his face. Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, then at the heart in his hand. With a scowl he shoved the heart back into Gareth's chest.

“Come.” He said to Belle, taking her hand and transporting them back to the castle.

When the cloud of magic had faded, they were standing in the library. Rumpelstiltskin pulled his hand away from Belle's quickly as if he had been bitten.

“You...you could have gone with him and gone home.” He said. “Why did you try to escape?”

“I promised to stay with you...and they might have hurt you.” Belle shrugged.

“Hurt me?” Rumpelstiltskin laughed. “You can't be serious, dearie.”

“Well...” Belle smiled slightly. “Someone would have gotten hurt...”

Rumpelstiltskin walked towards the staircase, but stopped and turned back. “Just for curiosity's sake...what you said to the thief back there...”

“What I said?” Belle blinked. “Oh, you didn't believe any of that did you? I would have said anything to get away.”

“Ah. I see.” Rumpelstiltskin turned away so Belle wouldn't see the broad smile that invaded his face.

 


End file.
